Fox and Raven
by Joni-Lee
Summary: Áine nudged Natsu and the raven tore her eyes away from the scene to look at her friend. “What?” Natsu asked. Áine pointed a finger at Naruto. “The fox.” She said and then she pointed her finger towards Sasuke. “The raven.” SasuNaru


Hello everybody!

Okay, this is a story I'm trying out. It's a story about how Sasuke's daughter and Naruto's daughter bring them together.

**WARNINGS:** OOCness, OCs, later yaoi

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything _Naruto. _

Fox and Raven

Sunlight cascaded down through the green leaves that moved with the light warm breeze that whispered through the forest in the early morning. A blonde-haired man sat peacefully Indian-style, breathing deeply. A young girl with the same shade of blonde hair sat besides him in the same position. The wind ruffled both of their hair and the young girl's long hair floated on its back. Quiet enveloped the clearing of soft grass and tall trees where they sat. Steam rose from the Earth the way it does after a rainstorm, making the air thick enough to see the individual sunrays. Dew and spider webs glistened in the light. A fox could be heard somewhere beneath the brush and a swallow chirped lightly in the distance. The world seemed to be talking quietly to herself and the utter tranquility of the scene brought her mind back to when she was never trampled upon by human beings.

The blonde-haired man, Uzumaki Naruto, opened his eyes to reveal deep blue irises that shone with maturity and wonder. His gaze settled on a tree's leaf before sliding sideways to where the girl sat. Her face was relaxed and she was breathing deeply. The man thanked the Gods that she didn't look like her mother. He smiled a huge child-like grin he never lost as he aged, and danced his fingers across her cheek. She giggled silently and opened her eyelids to glance sideways at the man. Her own blue irises shone with confidence and curiosity.

"Come now Áine, it is time to head back." He said, his rough-yet-light voice breaking the silence. The girl, Áine, pouted then smiled a smile not unlike the man's own.

"May you carry me Otosan?" The girl asked, implying that Naruto was her father. He smiled and slung her onto his back. She laughed lightly and nuzzled the crook of his neck. "Otosan, why did we come out to the forest today?"

"I wanted you to see the beauty of the land before all the animals and humans woke up. Tell me Áine-chan, what did you hear and see while you were meditating?" Naruto asked. Áine concentrated for a moment before she laughed.

"I heard the song Okasan used to sing to me and I felt the wind speaking to me and the Earth. Oh, and Otosan, I also saw a baby fox in the bushes over there and I smelt a snake a few hundred yards away. The baby fox was so cute, Otosan! She looked at me and smiled, like Okasan used to smile at me." Áine said happily. Her father nodded his head.

"That is a good start. As a ninja, you have to be in tune with your surroundings and know at all times what is going on." He said, softly projecting his voice. Áine slumped on his back.

"Otosaaaaan," she whined, "do I have to become a ninja? It seems boring if we always have to sit and be still for hours!" She said, pouting. Her father laughed.

"No, Áine, ninjas don't usually sit and meditate all the time. We fight and do important missions to help people. Or at least…we used to." He said sadly. Áine eyed the back of his head.

"Otosan, what happened to ninjas?"

"You see musume, a long time ago, years before you were born; I lived in a village called Konohagakure. There, along with my friends, I was a ninja and I went on missions and helped people do things. I even battled and freed many people from oppression! Then, a person precious to me was taken away and I set out to find him. During that time, a new hokage came to power and banished me from ever returning, calling me a traitor. Henceforth, I never went back and I met your Okasan and we had you!" He exclaimed. It was silent for a few moments. Then, Áine snorted and leaned on her elbows on her father's back.

"You _are_ full of stories Otosan, just like Okasan used to say before she went away." She laughed. Her father tensed and then smiled as well.

"Of course musume, but just remember one day you will stumble upon Konoha and you will see all the things I used to see, breathe all the things I used to breathe and hear all the sounds that come from being in that village. Just don't believe the rumors and don't trust anyone without a blue ninja headband on." He said, half joking. Áine laughed and breathed deeply.

"Otosan, what did you see when you were meditating?" She asked after a moment's pause. Her father paused a moment and smiled slightly.

"The same thing I always see musume. I think it was the very reason your Okasan went away." He said cryptically. Áine protested when he didn't say anything more.

"Otosan, you can't just say that!" She cried in mock outrage. He laughed and hopped over a fallen tree.

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you. I saw a raven." He answered.

"What the heck, a raven made Okasan leave?" Áine asked in confusion a few minutes later. Her father chuckled deeply.

"Yes, a raven made your Okasan leave. Remember musume, a ninja always looks for the meanings within the meanings. You'll understand the raven when you're older."

"But Otosan, I don't want to grow older, you know that!" Áine said harshly. Her father took her down from his shoulders and looked at her perplexedly. She sighed. "Otosan, when you grow old, you lose people precious to you and you have to make decisions that affect the whole rest of your life. You also have to face pain and heartbreak, like you faced when Okasan left. If not for Uncle Gaara, you wouldn't have stayed. You would have left me with Okasan or with Uncle Gaara." Naruto stared at her in near-outrage. When he spoke next, his voice was deep and gruff, nearly scaring his daughter.

"Uzumaki Áine, never ever believe what you just said. You my musume, are my life and without you I would be dead, you can believe that."

"Otosan…" Áine said cautiously, eyes wide in disbelief. Suddenly, the cold blue eyes of her Otosan disappeared and he smiled at her.

"Now, how about some ramen?" He asked. Her face lit up and she jumped down from his arms and scampered across the forest floor.

"Ramen, ramen, ramen!" She chanted until she fell over a tree branch. Naruto laughed and went to go pick her up.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A young girl with raven hair and onyx eyes stared in awe at the mock-battle before her. The two men fighting were merely blurs to her naïve eyes. She cringed as one fell backwards onto the ripped apart and scorched ground. She quickly looked to the standing victor and rejoiced happily with a cry of appreciation. The man standing smirked at her and walked over to her, leaving his opponent on the ground. She smiled happily and raced up to the man. He held his arms out and caught her in a hug. She nuzzled his black hair and poked his cheek.

"Otosan, you won again! There is no one you can't beat!" She cried excitedly. The man, her father, just shook his head.

"No Natsu, there is one person I cannot win against." He said, almost darkly. The girl, Natsu, looked at him in surprise, trying to decipher the emotion in the onyx eyes that reflected her own.

"Who is this person Otosan? Do I know him?" She asked, very curious to meet this person her Otosan claimed to not be able to win against.

Instead of answering his daughter's question the man just laughed and turned expectantly behind him. Natsu looked at him in confusion.

"Otosan, why did you turn around?"  
"Someone needs to see me." He answered plainly. Natsu grew more confused. The dark haired man smirked. "You see Natsu, as a ninja, I am able to detect someone's chakra signal from far away. You should know this. I remember Karin teaching you this fact just yesterday." He commented. The little girl looked away.

"I apologize Otosan, I forgot." She said, deeply embarrassed that she didn't know that fact. She knew her Otosan would be disappointed in her. Indeed the man was disappointed in his daughter, as an Uchiha she should remember things well. He decided not to dwell on it as a man appeared in front of him. He had white hair and glasses.

"Uchiha Sasuke-san and Uchiha Natsu-san, Lord Orochimaru wishes to see you." He said, bowing in respect to the two. Natsu stared at him. She had never liked this dweeby man who threw his life into working for Lord Orochimaru, unlike her father. Her father grunted.

"Thank you Kabuto, we will be right there." Sasuke said and Kabuto left. Sasuke sighed and looked at Natsu.

"Otosan, do we have to go see Lord Orochimaru?" She asked, looking past him towards the woods, which were looking rather inviting in the early morning air.

"Of course Natsu, but, the meeting shall be quick so you can go train soon." He said and took off in a run. Natsu stared after the blur for a second before she sighed. With one last glance at the woods, she took off in a run after him.

She entered the dark room a short while later. Candles lined the walls and in the center of the room sat a black throne with snakes twisting around it. Perched on this dark throne was a pale old man with long black hair and yellow eyes. Purple markings surrounded his eyes and he had earrings in one ear. One hand was bandaged. Natsu scurried quickly besides her father, ignoring the looks she was getting from the old man and the other people in the room.

"Nice of you to join us Natsu-chan." Lord Orochimaru drawled in a sick voice. Natsu shivered on the inside and tried not to look at the insanely long tongue inside the mouth forming the words.

"What do you want?" Her father asked apathetically. The snake man smiled weirdly at her father.

"Come now, Sasuke-kun, don't sound so harsh. I hear you are doing quite well in training." He spoke, almost hissing. Sasuke clenched his teeth and made a non-committal grunt. Orochimaru smiled and turned to face Natsu again.

"Natsu-chan how is your training coming?" He asked. Natsu knew better enough than to speak to the man. That was her father's job.

Sure enough, Sasuke answered him. "Her training is going along just fine and she is quickly progressing." He said in the same tone he'd used before. Orochimaru smiled and his eyes grew with wild delight. He stood up and descended from the throne and walked up to Natsu. He put a finger under her chin and moved her head back and forth. He then examined her body and patted her head.

"Good, good. You are very lucky to be sired from an Uchiha and dammed from a Hyuuga Natsu-chan." Orochimaru hissed in pleasure as he placed himself back on the throne. Natsu just nodded and bowed. "You may leave to continue training Natsu-chan. Sasuke-kun, come with me. Manda wants to talk to you." Sasuke rose up stiffly and walked robotically over to the man on the throne. He bent down on his knees and grasped the hands of the snake man.

Natsu felt she wasn't meant to see this so she ran out of the room and into the sunlight. She panted and kept running until she reached the forest. Breaking into its cool shade, she kept darting from tree to tree until she saw something reflect the sunlight. She stopped and dropped down into a bush. She peered through the branches and saw two people sitting peacefully on the forest floor. They were both blonde and looked similar.

She watched them until they moved from their positions and left in the opposite direction. Natsu sighed, stood up and walked into the clearing. It brought back memories for her as she looked around. Her mother, Hyuuga Hinata, had brought her to this place before she left two years ago when Natsu was five. Natsu sometimes missed her mother, but her father made up for the loss. It had been a rather calm day when her mother left; a distant relative came to get her mother, and her father had just watched calmly, not saying anything. She remembered what her father had said of the incident as he dried her tears. _Okasan left because I loved a fox too much; more than her._ Natsu sighed heavily and started working on a jutsu Karin had taught her.

Hours later, Natsu lied on her back and stared at the canopy of green above her. She judged it to be around the middle of the morning because the air was warmer than before and the sun seemed higher in the trees. More animals were awake and sounds erupted loudly all around her.

"Hey, what are you doing?" A voice called, making Natsu jump. She got up quickly and spun around to face the intruder. Her eyes met the girl from before who was here with the blonde man. Natsu relaxed and eyed her. The girl was looking at her with interest. "I've never seen you before in the forest." She stated calmly.

"I haven't seen you either." Natsu said calmly. The girl smiled and bounced up to the raven-haired girl.

"Well then, I'm Uzumaki Áine!" She shouted, holding out her hand for the other to shake. Natsu just stared at it. "Uh, you shake it and tell me your name." Áine instructed her. Natsu glared at her.

"I know, _dobe_, what if I don't want to?" Natsu said, saying a word that her father had once spoken to a memory. Áine's eyes widened.

"Excuse me, did you just call me a _dobe_, you bitch?" Áine asked, glaring. Natsu smirked and nodded.

Áine came at her and tackled her to the ground. She pulled Natsu's hair as Natsu bit her. They wrestled until they both lied on their backs, breathing heavily, and laughed. Natsu rolled over and grinned at the blonde.

"My name's Uchiha Natsu, it's nice to meet you Áine." She said, and Áine's eyes shimmered.

"What are you doing out here Natsu?"

"My Otosan told me to train here. I'm a ninja." Natsu bragged. She expected Áine to stare at her in awe and claim she was a lowly peasant living with her family. What she didn't expect was her to smile back and say,

"Oh, you're a ninja too? So am I! My Otosan told me to come and train and practice my Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Áine said brightly. Natsu stared at her in disbelief.

"You're a ninja? Where is your headband?"

"Headband? Oh, you mean the thing that village ninjas wear on their foreheads. Well, my Otosan says he got exiled from his village unfairly. He hasn't 'belonged' to a village in like, ten years!" Áine exclaimed and Natsu sighed. "By the way, I'm six."

"I'm seven. My Otosan said that that's the age when his brother became a great ninja, so I have to work hard to be as good as Uncle and Otosan." Natsu said determinedly. Now, Áine gazed at her in awe.

"Whoa, that's a great way to want to be a ninja! I don't want to be ninja really, but I guess it is fun when I can do stuff like this!" She laughed as she made a hand seal and seven more Áines appeared and smiled at Natsu. _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, Karin said that few people under the level of chuunin should be able to do that. _Natsu thought. The seven Áines laughed and tackled Natsu, who fell to the ground. With a "poof", the clones disappeared. Áine sighed.

"I still can't focus my chakra long enough to keep them up, but Otosan says that's okay." She pouted. Natsu smiled and ruffled Áine's hair.

"I think that your move is special, even if it's not perfected yet." Natsu said kindly. Áine giggled.

"Ne, Natsu, do you have any special jutsu?" Áine asked. Natsu nodded.

"I just learned one, and I'm going to show it to my Otosan because he said if I learned it I would be an Uchiha more than I am now!" Natsu said happily. Áine clapped her hands.

"Show me please!" She laughed. Natsu nodded and formed the correct hand signs. She took a deep breath and placed her fingers to her mouth.

When she released her breath, fire exploded from her mouth. Áine stood in awe. _Wow, the fire ball jutsu! Otosan told me that it's meant for older people._

"Alright Natsu-chan, that was awesome!" Áine shouted, failing her arms about. Natsu bowed and laughed. She then bounded over to her new friend.

"Ne, Áine do you have an Okasan?" Natsu asked suddenly. Áine shook her head.

"No, Okasan left Otosan when I was young. I barely remember her. I do know she left because of a raven though!" Áine laughed and Natsu joined her. "What about you Natsu? Do you have an Okasan?"

"Nope, because Okasan left my Otosan two years ago and I haven't seen her yet. She left because my dad loved a fox." Natsu explained. Áine was silent for a moment.

"Our Okasans left us because of weird reasons, ne?" Áine asked. Natsu nodded. "But that's okay because my Otosan's the best otosan ever!"

"No way, my Otosan's the best otosan alive!" Natsu countered teasingly. Honestly, Áine didn't really believe her otosan beat Natsu's did she? Áine scoffed.

"Yes way, my Otosan's so strong and nice." Áine shouted. Natsu shook her head.

"No one can beat my otosan with his Chidori!" Natsu yelled as she went after Áine with a fake ball of chakra in her hand. Áine screamed then laughed.

"Well, let's see how you stand against my Otosan's Rasengan!" She laughed and lunged for Natsu, who squealed and ran off.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sasuke wandered the forest looking for his daughter. _I told her to stay near Otogakure_. He thought as he raced amongst the trees. He sighed and felt the sun touch his skin, warming it there. He was reminded of his fox, who he hadn't seen in years. His spontaneous attacks to bring him "home" had stopped coming a long time ago, making Sasuke surprised at how much he missed them. He shook his head. He couldn't think about how weird his body felt when he thought of the fox; he needed to find Natsu.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Naruto raced through the forest at high speed. He was worried out of his mind. His little Áine wasn't in their regular training grounds near their home. _She must've wandered off again. Damn that girl and her curiosity for anything that moves_. He sighed and flew past a gathering of ravens. They took flight, obviously disturbed by the fast orange and black blur. Naruto stumbled a bit and briefly thought of his raven, whom didn't have any wings. Well, he did have wings when he went to stage two, but he didn't want to think about _him_ right now. He had to search for Áine.

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Both men heard loud shouts from up in front of them. They slowed and finally they heard the words the two voices were screaming. Peaking through their respective bushes, they nearly laughed at the sight they each saw.

"Oto no Natsu, this last Rasengan will destroy you! You better give up now!" Áine cried and rushed towards the laughing raven.

"Not a chance Rouges no Áine, my Chidori will get you!" Natsu cried out. Naruto laughed at his daughter's pretend Rasengan, which she held in her hand. Áine made "whooshing" noises and ran at the other girl. Sasuke meanwhile, smirked at _his _daughter's imitation of Chidori and the chirping noises coming from her mouth. The two girls collided and both men were reminded of a certain battle that a similar event had taken place. They jerked back from their thoughts as the girls laughed and embraced each other.

"Oto no Natsu, I must say that your otosan's Chidori is powerful; powerfully annoying if it actually sounds like one thousand birds chirping!" Áine laughed and dodged a fist to her face. Naruto's face became confused. _Oto no Natsu, is this little girl from Sound?_

"Rouges no Áine, you are sure full of yourself. You're otosan's Rasengan is stupid." Natsu smirked. Naruto's jaw dropped at the smirk. Sasuke refused to look confused but he was. _Rouges no Áine, a rouge at that age, and how does she know what the Rasengan is?_Who was this little girl?

"Ne Natsu, you're my very first friend." Áine said after a while. Natsu smiled and hugged the blonde.

"You are my first friend too Áine. There are no children like me at Otogakure." Natsu whispered. Áine looked at her.

"There are no children at my home as well. It's lonely with just Otosan. Hey Natsu, I have an idea! Let's make a team. As we become ninjas, we'll train with each other and help each other get stronger!" Áine exclaimed. Natsu's face shone with hope.

"Really, you want to? Let's do it Áine! What's our team name going to be? All ninja teams have names." Natsu said. Áine thought hard.

"My Otosan said that his ninja team was called team seven. Want to be team seven?" Áine asked, looking at Natsu's onyx eyes.

Sasuke's eyes widened. The little blonde's father was in a team called team seven once?

"No, that's lame. It's not cool enough. Numbers aren't cool ninja team names. Let's use our names." Natsu pointed out. Áine nodded.

"Like Team Natsu- Áine?" She asked, hoping it was a good idea. Natsu shook her head.

"No, with our last names dobe." She said and smiled as Áine glared at her. Naruto nearly had a heart attack at the sound of the nickname that used to be bestowed upon him. "Let's call ourselves Team Uchiha-Uzumaki." Natsu said and Áine smiled.

"Yeah, I like that. It sounds strong and unbeatable. Look out world, Uchiha Natsu and Uzumaki Áine have formed Team Uchiha-Uzumaki, dattebayo!" Áine exclaimed excitedly and hugged Natsu.

When the blonde girl had uttered unbelievably the word "dattebayo," Sasuke stormed out into the clearing, wanting to know who this girl was. Similarly, Naruto rushed into the scene and stopped short of the two little girls.

The girls looked up and to their surprise saw their otosans standing above them.

"Hi Otosan!" Áine said happily and Natsu just stared at her father. Sasuke was staring at Naruto and Naruto was staring at Sasuke. Both were in shock at seeing each other after so long. Tension fell upon the people and Natsu and Áine scrambled away from their fathers. They hid behind a log and just watched the two frozen men, Sasuke all calm and cool on the surface and Naruto breathing heavily.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered. Sasuke flicked his eyes to him. He vaguely wondered if the blonde ninja could hear his racing heart. Life seemed to stand still, as it always did when Naruto met Sasuke.

Áine nudged Natsu and the raven tore her eyes away from the scene to look at her friend.

"What?" Natsu asked. Áine pointed a finger at Naruto.

"The fox." She said and then she pointed her finger towards Sasuke. "The raven."

Natsu's eyes grew wide in comprehension and nodded.

Eh, this story is iffy, but if enough people like it, I'll keep it going.

Tell me what you think.

Oh, and by the way, Áine is pronounced AN-yuh. (it's actually a name)

Until next time!


End file.
